Crossing Paths
by SlySilverWolf
Summary: Koenma sends Yusuke and the others on yet another case, except this time, it involves a mysterious portal that leads humans to the Demon World--500 years in the past. While searching for it, they run into two strange girls. KuramaXOC, InuyashaXOC
1. Chapter 1

Yusuke Urameshi sat peacefully on the roof of Sarayashiki Junior High. About a year had passed since the end of the Dark Tournament. He was still occasionally bothered by Koenma for pesky missions—of course, some cases were far from pesky, although they were still an inconvenience for Yusuke. He was just glad he was finally able to get some peace and—

"Oh my, still skipping classes, Yusuke?" called out a familiar high-pitched voice. The teenager groaned, not looking forward to the grim reaper's visit. He couldn't believe that she just kept showing up with these bullshit missions for him to do!

"What do you want, Botan?" he asked, turning his head away from the blue-haired girl. His eyes remained closed; he obviously wanted some rest.

"That's not a very nice hello," she replied. "I know you've just gotten back but Koenma sent me to get you and Kuwabara. He said it's urgent this time." She offered a half-smile when Yusuke sighed, clearly irritated. He was really getting sick of this crap.

"How urgent can it be? He says every mission is urgent and it always turns out to be just the opposite. I'm sure it's nothing that will affect the whole world. I saved this whole damn planet once already, what makes him think I'll do it again?" Botan laughed awkwardly.

"You do have a point, but it's Koenma's orders. We have to get going, Yusuke."

"Fine, whatever! Let's go get Kuwabara then, before diaper boy throws a temper tantrum." The young spirit detective angrily pushed himself off the gravel and led Botan – in her schoolgirl uniform to fit in, of course! – downstairs to Kuwabara's classroom. The delinquent slid open the door and was glad to see that Kuwabara immediately noticed them. Yusuke wouldn't have to smack him upside the head to get his attention this time.

"Hey guys, what are you doing here Botan?" The big oaf carefully shut the door behind him to keep their conversation private. "What does Koenma need now? We just got back like, two weeks ago."

"That's what I said," Yusuke chipped in. "But the grim reaper here says it's urgent, so we better get the others too." Kuwabara nodded and snuck out of the school with Yusuke and Botan. Just as they got far enough away from the buildings, Botan's beeper went off.

"Why, hello Koenma!" she said happily, flipping open the circular communicator.

"Botan! Get Yusuke and Kuwabara over here ASAP! Hiei and Kurama are already on their way. You must hurry!" The young prince shouted loud enough for the other two boys to hear. Without giving Botan a chance to respond he hung up, leaving her slightly confused and a little upset.

"It didn't seem that urgent before. This must be serious! Come on," she said, grabbing her oar out of thin air. "Hold on tight, boys!" Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged a brief glance before quickly grabbing on to the back of the oar, nearly being left behind.

The three arrived at the giant palace of King Yama in a matter of minutes. Yusuke scowled when he was finally able to stand on something stable again. "Pacifier breath better have a damn good explanation for this," he shouted down the halls, attempting to fix his messed up hair.

Botan led them down the long halls and past the room where all the crazy blue ogres worked. Yusuke and Kuwabara could never get over how strange Spirit World was, and it only seemed to get even stranger each time they went there. They approached Koenma's office and Yusuke kicked the double doors open. "Alright prince of poop, what is it now?"

Koenma's eye twitched. "Keep it up with the nicknames, Yusuke, and I'll take back your soul," he threatened. He cleared his throat before continuing. He looked at the four fighters before him; they wouldn't take kindly to this next assignment… "There is a pseudospace between the human and demon worlds that allows certain lower class demons to pass through – demons that cause little to no harm to us. Before you shout about demons passing through, let me finish Yusuke." He glared at the spirit detective who had just opened his mouth to object. "Spirit World needed to compromise. If we tried to take the demon world all at once, it would have backfired and the higher A and S class demons would be able to pass through. If even one was to find its way to Earth…" The young prince shuddered. "Well, it would be beyond disastrous. So we put up a kekkai barrier so that only weak and harmless demons can pass through. However…" He took a long pause.

"Yeah? However what?" Kuwabara asked, impatient. Koenma hesitated before he sighed and pulled out a picture of an old stone well from a file.

"We thought we had the kekkai barrier sealing every pseudospace known to Spirit World. We just now discovered a new one. It is very small, and no demons seem to have passed through it yet. But no one has been through this space before. There's no telling what kinds of demons live on the other side." Kurama hummed to himself, trying his best not to look puzzled although he knew this case would be a tough one. Spirit World was supposed to know everything about demon hideouts and holes that allow them to pass to the human world.

"Koenma, how is it that Spirit World just now discovered this pseudospace?" the fox demon asked.

Junior pulled out some more photos and papers from the same file. "There have been recent reports of a girl being taken by a demon down into the well. Her name is Kagome Higurashi, although she hasn't been seen since she was taken." The group leaned forward to take a closer look at the photo of the missing girl.

"Hey, she's hot," Yusuke commented. Kuwabara nodded. Botan smacked them both with her oar, having none of their perversion.

"I'm telling Keiko!" she said, glaring at Yusuke. The two bickered back and forth about Yusuke's girlfriend until Koenma had enough of it.

"ENOUGH!" Koenma shouted. "This case isn't to be taken lightly. The well is located in a shrine near Unakami Junior High. There has also been strange energy around the school itself – I need you to check it out and if you see anything or anyone suspicious, report to me immediately. Now, go!" He shooed them all out, hoping that this demon hole could be sealed up before the creatures on the other side find out that it leads to the Human World.

Yusuke and the gang made sure to change into casual clothing before they went out in search of the stone well. They didn't want to get caught for not being school in the middle of the day. Luckily for them, the last bell for Unakami Junior High had just went off, signaling the end of the day just as they arrived. Hundreds of students poured out, some heading toward the gymnasium for after school activities and the rest heading home.

"So how are we supposed to tell where this strange energy is coming from?" Yusuke murmured, scanning the large crowd of students. If anything, they were the ones that stood out; it was obvious they did not attend Unakami Junior High. The four boys concentrated hard on the source of the energy, though it didn't take long for them to find two very odd-looking students staring at them from the side of the building.

The two students quickly turned their heads away once they were caught. "Hey, who are they?" Kuwabara wondered. "I thought you couldn't have unnatural hair colors in school…" Yusuke slowly began to lead the group toward the two girls.

"Yeah, or maybe the other students just can't see their _real_ unnatural hair," he replied. The two girls, one with short white-blond hair and the other with long royal blue hair, noticed their advance. A group of band students just happened to pass by, cutting Yusuke and the others off. He saw the two girls run down the street attempting to lose them. "Hey! Get back here!" he shouted. With no hesitation the four boys ran after the strange students, wondering if they were demons that had passed through the well but hoping that they were not. Hiei jumped ahead of them in the trees lining the sidewalk.

The two girls ran as fast as they could in their uncomfortable school shoes and skirts, trying desperately to lose the people trailing behind them. Unfortunately, they could sense the others' unnatural powers and could tell that they were far greater than their own. "What do we do now, Kai?" the one with white-blond hair asked between breaths. They were not accustomed to sprinting so fast since they had never been chased before.

The girl with longer blue hair took deep breaths and slowed down, pulling her friend behind a tree on the side of the road. "There's a forest just around that corner behind the shrine, I think we can lose them in there," she replied. Without having much time for rest they continued on. Kai looked back, barely seeing the boys chasing them through her long dark hair. "Come on, Atsuko! We have to lose them!"

The one named Atsuko sighed and replied, "I'm trying!" When they were far enough and had seemed to have lost the group, they stopped, sitting on the edge of a short stone wall surrounded by beautiful trees. "You think we lost them?" The girl gasped for air.

A loud shout came to their ears, answering Atsuko's question. "I guess not!" Kai replied. She turned around and saw a deep well that was inside the short stone wall. "Well, I always say leap before you think."

Atsuko looked at her friend, confused. "What?" The voices got louder.

"Jump!" she shouted, bringing Atsuko tumbling down with her as they fell down the well.

Yusuke skidded to a halt just before he reached the stone well surrounding the well, causing Kuwabara to nearly run into him. He cursed under his breath. "I can't believe we lost them," he said. He looked down into the well, picking up a rock and dropping it inside to see how deep it was. They never heard the rock hit the ground.

"Well, at least we found the well," Kurama said. He jumped over the wall and looked down into the well to examine it. "This definitely is a portal that leads to the Demon World. But it feels different…"

Hiei hopped out of a tree, landing next to Kuwabara. "You're right, Kurama. This isn't the real Demon World," he added. Kuwabara scratched his head, clearly confused.

"So what do we do now?" Kuwabara asked. Should they go down the hole and follow the two girls, or should they report back to Koenma? Yusuke answered that question.

Yusuke pulled out a small circular device, similar to Botan's, only it looked more like a compact. Kuwabara laughed loudly. "Didn't know you wore make-up now Urameshi, did Keiko put it on you to make you look prettier?" He nearly fell over from laughing so hard. Kurama let a giggle slip out but not loud enough to catch Yusuke's attention.

The spirit detective brutally bashed Kuwabara's head into the stone wall. "Can it, carrot-top!" Satisfied that he had bruised his best friend's face for making fun of him, he opened the compact—um, communicator—and pressed a button. In a couple of seconds Koenma appeared on the small screen. The others gathered behind Yusuke. "Hey diaper brain, we found the well." He turned the communicator around to show Koenma their location. "Not only that, we found a couple of demon students at Unakami. They went down the well to the Demon World."

Koenma fidgeted with his hands for a moment before answering. "I see. Then the demons know that this portal leads to the Human World. I will assemble all the strongest psychics in Spirit World to try and seal it, but… It will still be a long process. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama – follow those demons down the well. But be prepared – no one has ever been through this pseudospace before. Hiei, you keep watch at the well in case other demons come through the other side. I will get back to you as soon as I can and if you find _anything_ strange, report to me. I'm sending Botan to follow you in case something happens." Koenma's image disappeared leaving a black screen. Yusuke sighed.

"Great, we get to visit Demon World. How pleasant," he muttered. Kuwabara started shaking.

"Why do I have to guard the well?" Hiei questioned, looking angry. "Koenma should know that I would gladly let demons pass through."

"Uh, okay Hiei, why don't you go down to Demon World with them and I'll keep watch here, okay?" Kuwabara replied. Yusuke smirked.

"What'sa matter Kuwabara, scared the demons will get you?" the Spirit Detective teased. Kuwabara's lip twitched and he moved to punch Yusuke.

"I am not scared, Urameshi!" He missed Yusuke's face, falling flat on the ground. "You heard Hiei, he'd just let demons pass through. But I, Kuwabara…" He stood up quickly, standing proud with his fists resting on his hips. "Sworn protector of Human World will make sure that no demon passes through! If they wanna take my home planet then they'll have to go through me first!"

Yusuke and Kurama sighed, wondering if having Kuwabara guard the well was such a good idea. If any demon came through chances are Kuwabara wouldn't be able to stop it. Although, it would definitely be safer for him to remain in the Human World.

Hiei shook his head. "I just lost half of my brain cells listening to your stupidity, Kuwabara," the small demon said. Kuwabara growled at Hiei.

"Shut your mouth, short stuff!" He swung at him and missed, once again falling to the ground. Hiei was just too fast.

"What are we waiting for?" Yusuke asked. "Let's get this over with." He jumped right over the stone wall and down the well, Kurama and Hiei following soon after.


	2. Chapter 2

Kuwabara stayed back, though his curiosity got the better of him. He looked behind him and all around to make sure no one was looking before he jumped over the stone wall. He looked down the well. "Wow, that's pretty deep," he said.

"Watch out, you might fall!" said a high-pitched voice. Kuwabara jumped up and turned around, spirit sword forming in his hand. "Hey! Watch where you swing that thing, Kuwabara!" Botan said, stepping away from the spirit sword.

"Botan, what are you doing here?" he asked, dispersing the sword. "Oh, right, you're gonna go with Urameshi and them right?" Botan nodded.

"Well I thought you were supposed to go too," she replied. "I think you should go with them, Kuwabara. I'll stand watch up here. I can reach Koenma faster than you can anyways."

Kuwabara started sweating. "Uh, no thanks Botan, I'll stay up here. I mean what if a demon tries to attack you?" Botan made a hmph sound.

"And me going to Demon World would be much safer?" Kuwabara opened his mouth but realized that she had a point. He sat on the edge of the well. Botan got an evil idea… "So I guess we'll just both stay up here." She inched closer to Kuwabara until she was leaning over the stone wall, arms length away from him. "But you really should go! Be careful, Kuwabara!" She pushed the redhead down the well, giggling when he yelled out at her.

"Damn you Botan!" The grim reaper giggled and sat back on the stone wall. 'I hope this turns out well,' she thought.

Kai and Atsuko screamed as they roughly fell to the bottom of the well. Atsuko pushed herself up, groaning in pain. The fall had left the two girls with scratches and bruises all over. Atsuko stood up slowly and once she felt that she had steady footing, helped Kai stand up. "What a drop," she said, sighing. "That's worse than the dropping feeling on roller-coasters! I wonder if they'll follow us down here?"

Kai shook her head. "I don't see them up there," she replied, squinting into the bright opening. "Hello!" she shouted up the well. She waited a few minutes, and when no one answered, began to climb up the well. "I think they left."

Atsuko hesitated. "Are you sure?" She waited a couple more minutes and shrugged, following closely behind her friend. She heard Kai curse as she lifted herself out of the well. Atsuko followed, asking her friend, "What's wrong?"

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto," Kai murmured. She pointed to a tall tree a few hundred feet away from the well that she was sure wasn't there before. Atsuko shook her head.

"No way," she replied, laughing. "We were running through a _forest_, Kai. You probably just didn't see that tree before we jumped down the well." The tree towered above all the others in the forest. She had to admit that it was pretty noticeable now that they weren't being chased.

The two hopped off the edge of the well and surveyed the area. It looked similar enough, although the stone wall surrounding the well wasn't there. Maybe they just imagined it? But before they had time to think, their eyes caught a glimpse of red rushing toward them. "Damn! Why didn't we stay down there longer?" Atsuko asked. "They probably just hid and waited for us to come out!"

Kai positioned herself in a fighting stance. "But there's only one person now," she replied. "There were four earlier, remember?" The figure in red came quickly at both of them, slicing at the two girls with a sword almost the same size as him. They dodged as quickly as they could, though it was cutting pretty close.

Kai, a water demon, formed a liquid sword in her hand that froze into ice. She blocked a few of the strange demon's attacks with her sword, trying to get on the offensive. She hit his sword away for a brief moment and noticed something on his head – "Are those dog ears?" she asked, her eyes wide.

The demon jumped back and scowled. "Well I am a dog demon," he replied.

Atsuko giggled. "Only half, apparently," she said, angering the dog demon. She gasped and jumped away when he attacked, shocked to see the large indent in the ground where she had just been standing. "What kind of sword _is_ that?" The demon smirked.

"Tetsusaiga," he replied. The two girls looked at him, confused. He rolled his eyes and leaned on the hilt of the sword. "Of course two stupid demon girls wouldn't know what Tetsusaiga is."

Atsuko growled in her throat, a ball of fire surrounding her right hand. "Take that back you half-demon mutt!" The two glared at each other, though neither attacked. It seemed they would rather have a battle of name-calling instead.

Kai melted her ice sword and relaxed her muscles, sensing the tension dissipate. "Calm down you two," she said, turning to the dog-demon. "Look, we're not here to harm anyone. We don't even know where we're at, so if you could just tell us how to get back to Unakami Junior High, we'll be out of your fluffy dog ears in a jiff." The demon's ears twitched at her joke.

"What the hell is 'Unakami Junior High'?" he retorted, struggling with the last three words. The two girls looked at each other wondering if he was being serious.

"Um, it's the middle school right down the street from the shrine here," Atsuko answered. This time, the dog demon looked confused.

"What shrine? There's no shrine here and the only thing sacred is that damn tree," he replied, pointing to the tall tree the girls were looking at before. "Goshinboku." They had no words for what was happening. "Now tell me. Who are you?" He lifted his sword again to intimidate them.

As Kai started to answer a large burst of energy came up the well, followed by three of the four people that had been chasing them before. "Oh, no," said the water demon. Her body once again poised itself, ready to defend if necessary.

"There's more of you?" asked the dog demon. He growled and ran at the group that had just come through the well, slashing at them with his sword. The shortest of the group, who had strange spiky hair, disappeared, confusing the dog demon. Hiei reappeared behind him, whacking him in the head with the hilt of his own katana. The dog demon knocked out, falling hard onto the ground. The two girls stood frozen in their places.

"Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way," Yusuke said as he cracked his knuckles. "If you tell us who you are and what you're planning then we might just let you go." He smirked. "But if you don't cooperate, then… Well, I can't guarantee you'll come out in one piece."

Kai blinked and asked very angrily, "_What?_" She glared at the Spirit Detective. "Look, I don't know who the hell you think you are but we're not causing any trouble. And with that cocky attitude you're the last person I'd cooperate with, so bug off pal!" She turned around and motioned for Atsuko to follow, although the third boy who had long red hair blocked her way.

"I suggest you listen to Yusuke," he said. Something in his eyes seemed dangerous. Kai didn't make a move to run again, although she still refused to answer. Atsuko was getting worried and decided to spill the beans.

"Alright, we'll tell you who we are," the fire demon said. Kai elbowed her in the ribs. She winced and rubbed her side. "It's not like we have anything to hide." Kai rolled her eyes.

"So? We shouldn't answer them because they're rude! First they chase us and now they threaten us if we don't tell them who we are? I will _not _answer to a big bully like him!" she shouted back, pointing toward Yusuke. The Spirit Detective held up his hands in defense.

"Hey, now, what makes you think I'm a bully?" he asked. Kai began telling him how he was using violence to threaten her and Atsuko into telling his group what they wanted to hear and such. Hiei sighed and jumped up into a tree, lying on a branch.

"Wake me up when the fight starts," he told Kurama. The fox demon laughed and was somewhat glad the tension was fading.

"Well, if you have nothing to hide then why not just tell us who you are and why you were in the Human World?" Kurama looked from Kai to Atsuko, expecting an answer this time.

The two girls shrugged and Kai finally gave in though she let Atsuko talk. "I'm Atsuko and this is Kai," said the fire demon, pointing to herself and then to her friend. "Yes, it's true that we're demons from Makai, but we came to the Human World to escape the Demon World. We don't live there to harm humans. Actually…" She paused and looked away. "Um… Our fathers came through the kekkai barrier and raped our human mothers… And once we were born, they abandoned us." She took a deep breath to keep any tears from falling. Kai patted her shoulder, though she too looked hurt. "We were forced to live in Makai, but it's really scary and dangerous there. Kai and I only had each other. You know how it is, two young demon girls…" She trailed off with a half-smile. Yusuke scratched his chin.

"Okay, well then why did you jump immediately down the well that leads back to the Demon World? Is this where you came through to the Human World?" The two girls shook their heads.

"No, we came through the Kekkai barrier. We're barely considered B-class demons," the water demon said with a half-smile. Kurama smiled back.

"Don't worry, Hiei's just barely a B-class demon as well," the redhead replied, pointing up in the tree.

"That's a relief!" They laughed for a moment before a grunting sound from the well came to their ears.

"Look who decided to join us after all," Yusuke said, smirking as Kuwabara stumbled over the edge of the well onto the grass. "Demons scare you back home too Kuwabara?"

The tall redhead glared at his friend. "Shut up, Urameshi, Botan pushed me down!" he replied. Yusuke laughed.

"I knew you wouldn't come on your own, you big scaredy cat!" The two continued to argue, which eventually led to a fist fight and of course, Yusuke once again knocked Kuwabara to the ground. He brushed off his hands and walked back to the two girls. "So do you guys mind telling me where we're at?" He looked around. "This place doesn't look too familiar."

"Actually…" Atsuko began to say, until an old woman walked toward them from the tallest tree, Goshinboku.

"Ye are in the year 1500 in Japan," said the old woman. "Another girl, Kagome, has come from your time. Come, we will explain everything." She turned to lead the group back into her village before she turned her head to say something else. "And bring InuYasha with you. He's harmless, really."

Yusuke's eyebrows lifted up, but he sensed no evil or strange energy from the old woman. He bent down to pick up the passed out dog-demon and said, "I guess he's InuYasha. What a weird name."

Kuwabara pushed himself up and Hiei rejoined the group as they followed the old woman to her village. The Spirit Detective had a strange feeling that what the old woman said about being in Japan 500 years in the past was true.


	3. Chapter 3

The old woman led the Spirit Detectives and co. through InuYasha's forest to a small, ancient-looking villate. The four boys stopped as they stepped foot into the village, smelling the stench of human blood. "Something's wrong here," Yusuke said, trailing behind the others with the still unconscious InuYasha. The old woman, Kaede, gasped and headed straight for her small hut, an unexpected scene before her. She pushed past the villagers crowded around the girl, Kagome.

"What happened here?" she exclaimed. The villagers hung their heads in sorrow.

"We're sorry, Lady Kaete. We couldn't stop it," one said. "A demon came and started attacking the village! Lady Kagome tried to help us drive it away, but her sacred arrows didn't even pierce the monster's skin…" The old woman knelt by the dying girl's side, brushing strands of hair out of her face.

Kagome struggled to open her eyes; everything was blurry. She turned her head slightly toward the old woman. "Kaede…" she whispered. "The… jewel…" Kaede shushed her. Kagome tried to lift her hands up to the old woman's face. "It… only got half of the jewel… Take care of this half, okay…?" She gasped and winced, bleeding uncontrollably from her stomach. Kaede took the half of the jewel.

"With my life," she replied. Kagome, the only one to harness the true good power of the sacred jewel, was gone.

Another villager spoke up, offering his knowledge on the situation. "Lady Kaede," said the villager. "Methinks the demon was sent by a stronger being. Its strength wasn't even half that of InuYasha's. The demon, he said that 'Naraku' will be back for the other half. It was injured badly when it escaped." He bowed his head at the old woman. She thought for a moment before thanking the man for his honesty.

"Which way did this demon go?" she asked, following a few of the villagers outside. They looked strangely at the group waiting just outside the hut. "They're others like Kagome," Kaede explained.

"It went South," said a villager, pointing in that direction. The old woman nodded her thanks.

"We _must _get that other half back!"

Yusuke raised a brow. "What's the big deal with this jewel thing?" he asked. InuYasha's body had a spasm, causing Yusuke to yelp and drop him to the ground. Kaede sighed. This would be a long night.

"So lemme get this straight," Yusuke started. "There's some sacred jewel here, in Japan, 500 years in the past, that you want _us_ to get back before a demon uses it to enhance its powers and take over the world?" He sounded incredulous. Here they were, _again_, being asked to save the world for nothing in return. Kaede nodded. Yusuke sighed and leaned back on his elbows. "I dunno lady, it's barely been a year since I last saved the world. Dunno if I'm ready to do it again just yet."

Kuwabara nodded, adding, "Yeah, plus you got dog-boy over there lookin' for it already, don'tcha?" InuYasha growled, being awakened from his slumber.

"You wanna die, human?" he asked. But before he could even stand completely up and jump over the bonfire to attack Kuwabara, Kaede commanded 'sit boy!' and he fell flat on his face. Everyone laughed.

"That will be fun to use later on," Atsuko commented, still laughing. InuYasha glared at her as he sat back up, sulking. He sniffed the air and caught a familiar scent… Only it was mixed in with blood. His eyes widened and he rushed to Kaede's hut. Something lay underneath a brown cloth. It couldn't be, could it? He knelt by the lump and slowly lifted up the fabric.

"Kagome!" he said, leaning his ear to her chest. There was no heartbeat. "No…" He felt water coming to his eyes but would not let the tears fall. He covered her back up and stormed out of the hut. "Who did this?" he asked menacingly. Everyone sat in silence; Yusuke and the gang didn't know their relationship well enough to feel sorry, and Kaede was reluctant to tell him the truth.

"A demon," said the old woman. "A demon sent by Naraku did this to Kagome." InuYasha looked down, hiding his eyes. He turned around without saying another word and stormed off into his forest.

Kurama, who had been almost completely silent, finally spoke up when the half demon was nearly out of sight. "Should we stop him?" he asked Kaede. She shook her head.

"Let him go," said Kaede. "He needs time, but he will be back."

Kurama nodded, then continued. "Lady Kaede," he said calmly. "We have our own mission in the present world to take care of. Perhaps, we can tell our superiors your story and if granted permission, we will return to your time and help your cause." Hiei snorted.

"Koenma would never approve of this, you know that Kurama," said the grumpy three-eyed demon. "Besides, he knows exactly what I would do if I got my hands on that jewel." Kuwabara laughed awkwardly at Hiei's brutal honesty, then came up with an idea.

"Why don't we just use Urameshi's compact to call Koenma and see what he says?" he suggested. Yusuke smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"Hey, good idea Kuwabara! You're finally at least somewhat useful." Kuwabara stuck his tongue out at the Spirit Detective for that last comment. Yusuke took out his communicator and pressed the green button. "Hey toddler," he greeted. "Funny thing happened…"

After they briefed Koenma on the situation, the little prince ordered Kurama and Hiei to escort Kai and Atsuko to Spirit World while Yusuke and Kuwabara did some more snooping in the village. Hiei wasn't happy about having to babysit two little demon girls, but it was mandatory for him to follow Koenma's orders. Kai and Atsuko looked nervously at one another. "Don't worry," Kurama said as he smiled. Kai blushed at how handsome he was; she hadn't noticed it before. "Koenma isn't all that bad." Hiei smirked.

"He's a child," Hiei said. The girls laughed a little.

"So how do we get to Spirit World?" Atsuko asked as they followed Kurama back through InuYasha's forest and to the well.

"Our companion, Botan, is a guide to the River Styx. She'll be taking you there by oar. Hiei and I will meet you there later, but for now, we have some business to attend to." The fox demon smiled again. "She has bright blue hair, so you can't miss her. Good luck." Kai shrugged and carefully made her way down the well. Atsuko stayed back for a moment; those two were up to something… But she put her thoughts aside for the time being, and followed Kai down the well. Once the girls' spirit energy was no longer detectable, Hiei turned to Kurama.

"What was that all about? You heard Koenma, we were ordered to escort them," he said. Kurama suddenly fell to the ground, clutching at his chest.

"Since we're in the past, Youko has awakened and…" Kurama groaned. "I believe I'm returning to my previous form." To prove his point, his bright red hair began to grow longer and turn silvery white; fuzzy fox ears grew from his head and a tail sprouted as well. Youko Kurama was back. The demon stood up, its piercing golden eyes traveling around the forest. He inhaled the fresh air. "Home," said the fox demon, in an exceptionally deeper voice. Hiei smirked.

Botan paced around the well, wondering what was taking the detectives so long. She hoped it wasn't anything apocolyptic – that would be more than a disaster! She sighed and sat down on the stone wall. "Oh, my, what am I thinking?" she asked herself. A strange sound came from the well and Botan shrieked, jumping away from it as she grabbed her oar to defend herself. She saw two girls climb over the edge though they seemed harmless. "Who are you?" she demanded. "I won't let you take over the Human World! What have you done with Yusuke?"

Kai and Atsuko looked at each other and then back to Botan. "Um, we're the people that Yusuke and the others followed down the well. But we mean no harm – they called someone named… Koenma, was it? And he told Hiei and Kurama to take us to Spirit World—" Kai said, though Atsuko cut her off.

"But those two were up to something fishy and sent us up here to go to Spirit World with you," the fire demon finished. "I mean, you're Botan, right?" The grim reaper blinked a few times, confused, but then smiled.

"Yes I am! Botan, at your service. And if I may ask, what are your names?" Botan replied. Kai and Atsuko introduced themselves. "Okay then! I think we can all fit on my oar…" She set the oar in the air and hopped on, patting behind her. "You should hold on tight, though!" she added with a smile. The two girls laughed but got on and held tightly onto the oar beneath them. "Here we go!"

Kuwabara looked up from his drawing in the dirt as he sensed something different about Kurama's spirit energy. His eyes bulged out when he saw that he was in his fox demon form. "Whoa, Kurama! What happened?" the tall teenager asked.

"Hn," said Hiei. "We're in the past of the Demon World, causing Kurama to revert back to his rightful form. I thought you'd at least be able to figure that out, dimwit." Kuwabara made a face but chose to ignore Hiei, for now.

"Nice tail, Kurama," Yusuke joked. "But weren't you guys supposed to take those girls to Spirit World?" The fox demon nodded.

"Yes, we were," he said. "But we have some important matters to discuss. They were only half demons. Yet there is a stranger power within them, I cannot yet tell exactly what. They may be of some use to us, Yusuke." It was weird seeing their friend in his demon form. They were only used to seeing it during battles.

Yusuke thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, I know they can help us. Besides if we're stuck here in the past helping this old hag, the more people we have the better. There's something weird about this place… It kinda creeps me out." He looked around at the darkening skies. "I sure hope Koenma calls back soon…"

The ride to Spirit World was a bit unnerving, but the girls had survived. They now stood in front of a gigantic palace, taller than any skyscraper they had ever seen in the city. It was breathtaking and a little bit creepy. "Botan here, I've got the girls with me!" the blue-haired girl said into a small intercom. The tall, stone doors caused a rumble as they slid open. Kai and Atsuko looked to one another before following Botan down the long, dark halls of the palace.

"So this is the palace of the great King Yama," Kai murmured. "I never thought I'd be here of all places."

"Me either," Atsuko whispered. They stayed close to one another, scared of what awaited behind the doors that they were approaching.

Botan pushed open the doors and bowed. The two girls walked in but saw no one. They looked at each other, confused, then saw a small toddler standing in front of Botan.

"Um… I didn't know King Yama was a baby," Atsuko whispered to Kai.

Koenma fumed. "I am NOT King Yama, nor am I a BABY! I'm Koenma, prince of the Spirit World," replied the small prince. Kai and Atsuko made an "ohhh" sound and laughed it off.

"Uh, sorry!" Kai said, bowing. "I'm Kai Mizuno, and this is my friend Atsuko Hino." Koenma nodded.

"Yes, I've read through your files as well as your demon fathers' and human mothers'. Your fathers' files are far worse than your own, but to my knowledge you yourselves have not committed any demonic crimes and have proven yourselves very strong and dependable." He paused for a moment, seeing if they had anything to say.

Atsuko spoke up. "What about our fathers? Can you tell us any information on their whereabouts?" she asked. Koenma sighed.

"Well, all of Spirit World's files are confidential. However…" He looked from Atsuko to Kai, feeling their anxiety for revenge against their horrible fathers. He closed his eyes for a moment. "If you agree to help my Spirit Detective, Yusuke, on this mission to close the hole that leads to Demon World – in the past or in the present, it doesn't matter – then I will give you the files you so desire." Kai thought for a moment, briefly glancing at Atsuko.

"I guess it won't kill us to help," Kai said. "But you swear to King Yama that you'll give us the files?"

Koenma flinched, letting out a long breath of air. "Yes, I swear on my father." He made the sign of a cross, hoping that just saying those words wouldn't curse him for eternity. The girls smiled and bent down to shake on their deal with the little prince.

Kurama grunted as he climbed over the top of the well, now back on the side of the human world. His silver hair shortened ever so slightly and the fox ears and tail disappeared. Soon he was back in his normal, human form. Hiei made a "hmph" sound. "Shall we?" Kurama asked, leading Hiei back out toward the shrine. They had barely made it out of the forest when Hiei stopped.

"I assume you felt that too?" asked the fire demon. Kurama nodded. Hiei jumped to the left as the root of a large tree shot out from underneath where he was previously standing. Kurama tried to move but found that he had been paralyzed. 'Hiei! Find who's behind this,' he sent his thoughts to Hiei. The fire demon heard a very quiet chanting of words and disappeared. The chanting stopped, the attacker confused and not knowing where the other demon had gone. Hiei reappeared behind the stranger, kicking her out of the tree onto the ground. He held his sword to her neck, pressing lightly. Kurama, free of paralysis, walked over to the two.

The attacker had long, black hair and angry blood red eyes. She looked young, maybe 13 or 14 years old. Hiei narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" he asked. She looked away.

"Give me back my friends and maybe I'll tell you," she said coldly, wincing when Hiei pressed the blade just a little more into her neck. Kurama put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait, Hiei," he said. "Are you speaking of Kai and Atsuko?" The girl nodded. "You have no need to worry. We haven't harmed them." She scoffed.

"Then where are they?" she spat. Kurama thought for a moment.

"We can take you to them, only if you tell us who you are and what you just did. There is no demon energy around you, only spirit energy, though you showed some other kind of power just now." The girl shook her head. She obviously didn't trust them.

"I know that you're demons," she said. "I don't trust demons."

Hiei smirked. "Well, your friends are demons, too. Do you trust them?" The girl pushed herself off of the ground.

"They're different," she said. "They're not bad demons that harm humans like you do. I know all about both of your pasts." Kurama was starting to become suspicious of this girl. "You, you're an ancient fox demon. And you're a fire demon banished from his home land." Within half a second Hiei was already at her throat with his sword, once again.

"How do you know this?" Kurama asked, his eyes wide. He had no idea what this girl was.

She smiled. "Witchcraft," she replied. The fox demon raised an eyebrow. Hiei smirked.

"Don't make me laugh," said Hiei. "You're not the only one who can read minds, _Maeko_. I can see farther into your soul than you can in mine." The fire demon slid off the cloth covering his third eye. The girl, Maeko, gasped. She felt paralyzed as the demon intruded her mind, through her past and how she became a practicer of witchcraft, how she met the other two girls – everything. She groaned, falling to the ground when he released her. Hiei replaced the cloth around his forehead.

"Come with us," Kurama said, helping her up. "We were just on our way to Spirit World. I assure you, that is where your friends are."

Maeko held her throbbing head as Kurama helped her walk with them. Hiei made a disgusted sound; he didn't like the idea of having another human on their team. Maeko didn't struggle to get away, but she was reluctant to go with these two demons. She knew their strength far exceeded her own so she didn't try to fight back anymore. She was just lucky to have caught them off guard when they got out of that well. She sighed and looked up at the bright blue sky. 'I hope they're okay,' she thought.


End file.
